Brightwing Angel
by Fidchell
Summary: What if Marina never had a family? What if she was merely CREATED for one simple purpose?


Brightwing angel

Dedicated to Marina Brightwing (Copyright to Kenneth Oppel)

By: Jake Springhorn

Marina, a lovely bat with soft bright fur that had a dark-yellowish tint, hung on the branch of a tall cider tree in a state of mute concentration. She was stranded on an island, a beautiful island that seemed to be her natural-born home. She had no one - no one to love, to see, to feel. Marina was alone – without a family or a mate. Marina did not even have a friend to share time with – and time was always ticking. She counted each second, wishing she could see another living thing like her. The feeling of loneliness pierced her desolate heart and left her cold and shameful inside. She could not seem to really feel anything either. She had no feelings to share, so she had to keep it to herself. Marina simply hated being alone. It has been ten days since she woke up to find herself alive, without a memory. How could she be able to live like this? All she knew was that she could endure her depression, although she did not want to. Marina always wondered to herself what she was in the past. She wanted to have her forgotten memory back – but then she thought to herself, "Did I have one to start with?"

Marina sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead in silent frustration. She noticed that her stomach started to softly grumble urgently. She immediately lit from her roost to hunt – to hunt alone; by herself; nobody around to keep her company. The only welcoming noise she heard were the sounds of the buzzing insects, calling for Marina to devour them, to temporarily disappear to satisfy her thoughtless hunger, and then later, returns to call again. Marina considered it a mysterious cycle that only intends to keep her alive. It was an obstacle, but Marina could not resist swallowing the delicate meat of the insects. It supplied her with life, and it caused her to feel serene and calm.

"Why am I put into this world if I do not have a purpose to know of at all?" she asked herself that day. "What is the use for me to remain alive?" Marina could not feel, so she sometimes ran into trees. Pain. It was a horrible feeling, but it showed Marina that she could indeed feel physically. She wished afterwards that she could feel emotionally. It was one of the many things she really wanted. The sky was an empty gray mixed with a soft tint of sky blue. The dullness caused the entire world around Marina to be enveloped in a silent, toneless atmosphere. The air was thick, but it smelled of home, one of the things that helped Marina to feel the warmth of serenity, but it also caused her to lean towards the suicidal side of her mind. She did not want to die, though. She did not want to feel so much pain before death, and moreover, she did not even know what was beyond death. Marina was too scared to really find out.

When night took over the skies once again, Marina poked her head out of a small hole in her cider tree. She yawned softly and rubbed her eyes groggily. It was yet another silent night in the lonely forest. The soft buzzing of insects filled the air. Marina could even hear a distant chirping of small birds.

Marina's cider tree was planted on a block of land in the middle of a peaceful pond. She loved to stare down at the water to see her reflection. Behind the tree there was a tall, beautiful waterfall. Foamy, white mist emanated from the foot of the waterfall and would waft gently towards the cider tree, making the area a very calm and peaceful sight. Marina flew down to the waterfall and landed on a rock that stuck up out of the pond surface. She crouched and lay down on her belly and inspected the falling water in concentration. For a quick moment she could detect something behind the waterfall, somewhat like an opening to a cave. Marina wanted to inspect it further, but could she make it through the falling water? Marina slowly stood on all fours and stared once again at the "opening." Marina jumped off the wet rock and hovered for a moment and took a deep breath, feeling the cool mist filling her lungs. Just instantly, she sped into the waterfall, battering her wings as hard as she could and felt the heavy water smash down upon her. Marina waited to be carried down by the force, but she found out that she had truly made it through without any injuries.

Marina was in a damp cave. Rocks were set on the floor and water seeped through the wide cracks that they formed. The sound of the calm waterfall filled the cave. Just ahead, Marina saw a small cliff made up of smooth stones. The roof of the cavern lowered down considerably as Marina flew deeper to the cliff. She could now detect the form of a very large slab of smooth stone protruding from the middle of the cliff. Marina silently landed onto the cliff's top, onto the soft, wet rocks below her feet. Marina gazed up hypnotically at the amazing stone. It was probably three times her size. On the middle of the stone, a strange sign was indented onto it. It looked remarkably like a "V" shaped symbol with a dot between it. Three lines stuck out from the bottom tip of the "V" and two diagonal lines were set on each of the tips.

While Marina stared at the mark, she could sense the presence of another being inside of the cavern. She took her eyes away from the stone and looked behind her and then back at the stone almost instantly.

"I know you can sense me, Marina," an angelic, female-like voice sounded out softly. Marina stood perfectly still in awareness and blinked with confusion and uncertainty. "I was awaiting the time you would discover the stone."

"Who are you?" Marina curtly demanded to the unknown voice. There was an awkward silence for a few seconds.

"Who I am is not of your concern, Marina."

"Why is that?"

"Marina, listen to me. You wish to know your origin…" the voice said. Marina placed her claw on her chin wonderingly. "I know what it is." Marina looked up in surprise.

"Please," she replied. That one word was all she could manage to speak out. The invisible being seemed to nod.

"You have been in a state of complete oblivion and loneliness. For your endurance, you will receive new life, Marina. You will meet others, and you will find peacefulness. You will be given a new purpose," the voice stated.

"New purpose…" Marina managed to breathe out.

"Yes. You shall be destined to become the mate of a bat who will fulfill My Promise." The voice said the Promise so strongly that Marina flinched a little. "You will aid him in his journeys, and together, you will both find peace, and you will spread it around the world you are in now. I shall be revived in the very aftermath of the quest for peace." Marina started to get concerned.

"Who are you?" she repeated. The voice sighed deeply.

"The time is near, Marina. Go now, and meet this young Silverwing."

"I will not. I want answers." The voice sighed again.

"Marina, you do not have a family. You were simply, formed out of nothing. You were born into this world for a purpose that will aid my revival." Marina looked down in sorrow. She knew it all along.

"What is this Promise of yours?" Marina asked sharply.

"The Great Battle of the Birds and the Beasts. The bats did not take either side of the treacherous war, and this severely angered their hearts. The bats have been sentenced to eternal darkness. The foolish birds and beasts have forbid the time of day unto them. They have intruded in the example of freedom in this world, and now I must do something to resolve it. I created the Promise, and echoed it out to the world. The bats have recovered from devastation since then, rebirthing within themselves new hope," the angelic voice said. "However, my time of assistance in your journey, shall not be present at this very time. You must wait for me to regain enough energy."

"What do you mean?" Marina asked.

"My twin brother has seeped a large portion of my health. I must recover, and time may only allow it. I am immobile as of now, but I may communicate with my creations." Marina felt extremely puzzled when the voice finished its sentence.

"Who are you?" she asked once more. A pause filled the cave for a few moments. "Who are you??" Marina asked loudly.

Just suddenly the presence disappeared, and Marina could no longer sense the invisible being. She bent down to her knees and wept pitifully. She had just felt another being for once and she did not want it to leave her alone once again, but Marina now knew who she was. She was a bat with a single purpose. She had to search out for this Silverwing and had to get him to take her with him on his upcoming journey to freedom and peace.

Marina flew back to her cider tree tiredly. The whole conversation was a first for her and she felt different after having finally met another being. She really wasn't alone. Marina flapped into the tree's hole and curled up comfortably. Marina wasn't in the mood for sleeping, but she had to rest and think. What does she have to do to convince the Silverwing male to join with her? She had to make up a ridiculous story. It hit her like she had hit trees. She would pretend she used to be in a colony – a Brightwing colony, and she would say that she was driven out after being banded by tall, mysterious creatures. She would say that she flew to this island alone and lived in loneliness for a long time. It was perfect. Just then, she did notice that she had a silver band fastened around her arm. It was like it appeared so suddenly. Marina tapped it with her claw and it made a light tinging sound. With this strange object fastened around her arm, Marina felt that it would serve in her journey just as well.

The very next night, a heavy storm brewed up. Marina never witnessed something so painstakingly violent in her life. Trees bent against the great winds, rain showered down in awkward angles and tinted the forest so dark that Marina could not see what was ahead of her outside the hole. Luckily, her cider tree stood tall and strong, and it refused to bend. Before she involuntarily fell into a deep sleep, she whispered out a name unknown to her: "Nocturna".

An entire night passed by in what seemed like just an hour and Marina woke up to find herself upside down against the inner tree bark. She spluttered and quickly got on all fours. She peeped out of the hole and found out that the forest was back to what it originally was. The storm disappeared and left the forest in a coat of sparkling dew.

Almost immediately, Marina could hear a distant voice.

"Mom?" the voice cried out. Marina's heart nearly skipped a beat. She felt warmth surging through her blood and her heart pumped fast. Marina lit from her inner roost and perched on a branch near the hole.

"Hello?" she heard the voice speak out again. This time it seemed to be even nearer. Marina lit from the branch and flew into the foliage of the forest, throwing out echo beams. She detected a white, silvery image ahead of her, flying around the forest aimlessly. A smile formed on her face. Marina saw a twig just below her. She hovered over it for a short moment and dropped all her weight onto it, following with a loud crack that echoed into the forest. The figure turned its head around frantically and spotted Marina. She laughed quietly to herself and flew off.

"Hey! Stop! Come back!" the figure shouted angrily as Marina flew quickly back to her cider tree. She perched back onto the branch and swung upside-down and curled up so that she looked like a strange leaf with bright fur. The figure caught up and perched right next to Marina and started to sniff sadly. Marina stifled a chuckle.

"What're you doing here?" she said aloud. The figure gasped and clutched his chest. Marina slowly unfurled herself and revealed her entire body to the figure. She met his eyes and found out that he was a bat as well only he had silvery fur that shone against the moonlight beautifully.

"You're a bat!" he exclaimed.

"You're a genius – of course I'm a bat." Marina said. Marina looked down again at the bat's fur and grunted. "A Silverwing. I thought so." The Silverwing bat just stared at her.

"I'm a Brightwing. Not all bats are the same, you know. I guess you're too little to know that." Marina said testily. "I'm Marina." The Silverwing bat bristled.

"Shade," he said quietly. Marina grinned lovingly. She knew she would have to remember this name – the name of the bat destined to become a leader of freedom among fellow bats.

"Shade…" Marina whispered in her mind warmly.


End file.
